Natasha went to seek help from Betty Ross.
Outside the light-screen video, Bruce Banner stared in surprise at the animated image of Betty and remarked,
"She's not the Betty I know… they don't even look alike!"
Tony Stark responded nonchalantly,
"I already told you, Bruce — parallel universe theory. Don't worry, you'll be seeing another version of yourself soon enough."
And Tony's words proved prophetic.
Before long, another Bruce Banner appeared in the video. Even in animated form, it was obvious he was a different person from the Bruce Banner watching outside the screen.
Yet aside from sharing the same name, they also shared the same fate — both would transform into a green, rage-fueled monster!
When Natasha found Betty Ross, Banner happened to be hiding there as well.
Betty quickly discovered the problem: it wasn't that the serum had been poisoned — in fact, the serum hadn't even entered the syringe before Tony was dead.
After some discussion, the two deduced that something microscopic must have been fired from the syringe before the serum flowed into it, killing Iron Man instantly.
Without a doubt, that microscopic "something" was Hank Pym, shrunken down in his Ant-Man form!
At that moment, Nick Fury called Natasha to inform her of Hawkeye's death.
He told her the killer was likely targeting S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers. Judging from the order of the killings, the next targets would be her and Bruce Banner.
Fury also urged Natasha to hide and, while she was at it, to warn Bruce.
Natasha, sharp as ever, quickly deduced from small details that Bruce was hiding nearby. After hanging up, she found him crouched inside a cabinet.
Unfortunately, the military arrived outside at that exact moment.
From outside the screen, Natasha spoke in a reflective tone:
"In my world, I was the one sent to recruit Bruce too. He was in terrible shape back then — hunted by the military — but he always managed to slip away…"
Before she could finish, video-Bruce transformed into the Hulk and burst out, engaging the military head-on. But just as he began to unleash his power, his body suddenly started swelling like a balloon — larger and larger — until, with a loud bang, he exploded completely, leaving no intact remains.
Tony Stark frowned deeply.
"This world's Hank Pym has completely lost it!"
Then, glancing at Natasha, he added, "You're probably next."
Natasha, having already endured disaster once, wasn't overly shaken. She only sighed.
"Let's hope this world can still change its tragic fate… unlike mine, where it was already too late."
Tony was silent for a moment before replying,
"Let's hope so."
Bruce scratched his head.
"Looks like the me in this universe doesn't have much luck…"
Many other viewers could only marvel at the endless possibilities of the multiverse.
For Marvel's native audience, the Avengers were a familiar presence. Yet it was surprising to think that in another parallel universe, the Avengers never even formed before being wiped out.
Many viewers had even forgotten who Hank Pym was — he'd only appeared once in a previous quiz game and hadn't been mentioned much since. In the fast-moving information age, people's memories fade quickly, especially when the games keep introducing interesting new heroes and worlds.
No one expected that this seemingly marginal character would be the one to singlehandedly wipe out the Avengers.
Back in the video, just as the Hulk exploded, trouble erupted elsewhere.
Thor's death had set off a dangerous chain reaction.
Loki arrived on Earth via the Bifröst, leading a fierce Asgardian army. Unlike in the normal timeline where he came to cause trouble for his brother, this time Loki came to avenge him.
Nick Fury rushed to the scene and quickly grasped the overwhelming power gap between them. He seized the chance to negotiate, persuading Loki to give him one day to find the real killer — otherwise, Loki would destroy Earth.
Loki agreed surprisingly easily, which immediately made Tony suspicious outside the video.
"In my world, Thor would probably be touched to see his dear brother care this much. But I'm telling you — Loki definitely has a scheme. If he agreed that fast, he's plotting something."
Natasha shook her head with a sigh.
"This world's events have completely diverged from mine. Back then, dealing with Loki was no easy task."
Loki's arrival had undeniably added enormous pressure on Fury.
Meanwhile, Natasha, filled with rage, continued her hunt for the true culprit. That night, she infiltrated a library to use its computers, searching for more clues.
Her persistence paid off — she found an important lead. But just as she was about to call Fury, the killer struck again!
Moving like an invisible man, he repeatedly attacked Natasha. Even with her elite combat skills, she was completely outmatched, quickly beaten to the ground.
In her final moments, she managed to gasp into the phone,
"Hope… it's all because of Hope!"
Tony's eyes lit up.
"No — not 'hope.' Hope! As in Hope Pym — Hank Pym's daughter!"
The motive was suddenly clear: Hope had either died or suffered grievous harm because of S.H.I.E.L.D., driving Hank Pym into a murderous vendetta. He had struck early, sabotaging events and assassinating all the Avengers before they could unite.
The video confirmed Tony's deduction.
The scene shifted to Nick Fury standing alone in a cemetery, in front of a gravestone engraved with the name Hope Pym.
"You dare come to her grave?" a voice growled.
From the mist emerged a figure in a yellow battle suit. He accused Fury,
"She died because of S.H.I.E.L.D. — because of you!"
Removing his helmet revealed an elderly, white-haired Hank Pym, his face twisted with grief and rage.
The video ended there.
___
🎉 Shoutout to meech! 🎉
A huge thank you to meech for joining my Patreon and supporting the journey! Your support means a lot and helps keep the chapters coming faster. Welcome to the VIP club! 🙌✨
___
New fic is out